


I Think I'm in Love with a Superhero

by J_A_Kittrell



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-04-14 20:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4578363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_A_Kittrell/pseuds/J_A_Kittrell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Furihata finally has a date with Imperial Red after a near death experience. Neither of them know that dinner is just the start of so much more.<br/>A continuation of Imperial Red. Superhero au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Picking up the Pieces. Literally.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a direct sequal to my oneshot **[Imperial Red](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4281477/chapters/10207638).**  
>  Please read it first so this story makes sense! :)
> 
> I am, once again, editing on my phone, so please bear with me until I can spruce this up on my laptop. This chapter is all about Furi the day after the big fight. The next chapter will be longer and include the dinner. I wanted to show a small part of Furi's life as he deals with what's happened to him first
> 
> Many thanks to Shadowwing94 for pushing me to keep writing this, and a big thank you to everyone who has encouraged me along the way! All of your comments pushed me to figure this out, and I am so grateful for it. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter :)

Furihata groaned as the door to his apartment swung open. Getting home had taken longer than he expected thanks to everyone’s fussing. He really did appreciate his friends, but there wasn’t really that much to fuss over. He had lacerations everywhere, but only a few that required stitches. He also had a cracked rib and a few spots around part (all) of his body that were definitely going to bruise. Still, he considered himself lucky for even getting out at all.

He wobbled towards the back on his apartment, shrugging off his pants along the way. He’d deal with everything else tomorrow. He finally reached ivory curtains that hung from ceiling to floor, and tied them back to reveal his bed. The brunet carefully adjusted to lay on the navy comforter, enjoying the way it puffed around and hugged him like a cloud. There weren’t many things that he accepted from his mother when he moved out, but she insisted on giving him this blanket. Now that he was engulfed in the comfort of blanket fluff, he silently promised to never question her again. As his eyes began to droop, he thought of the striking man that had been his personal hero for the day. He wondered about the color of his eyes, swooned at thought soft lips upon his, and even imagined life as a superhero’s boyfriend. It wasn’t long before his musings turned into dreams.

 

Sunlight invaded the room at precisely 7:42 in the morning. Furihata Kouki knew this because in an attempt to evade said sunlight, he instead threw himself off the bed and landed himself a bloody nose. The journey to the bathroom took another five minutes. It was, of course, near the front of his apartment, so trying to get there without causing more injuries proved to be difficult. The pants that had been haphazardly kicked the night before almost killed him halfway there, and his muscles whined at every step. Finally stumbling in the bathroom, Furihata carefully peeled off his clothes and allowed himself look in the mirror. Aside from the blood that trickled down his chin, his face actually didn’t look horrible. The rest of his body was starting to look like a bad painting though. Some bruises were darker, some were larger, and little scrapes and cuts decorated everything else. He took a deep breath and turned on the shower. The bruises and rib would be ok. What he needed to focus on now was his shop. After giving himself a chance to relax, he had to return to the real world and face his problems.

 

* * *

 

“Wh-what do you mean it’s taken care of??” he squeaked. It just wasn’t possible.

The gruff man in front of him let out a booming laugh. “Someone dropped off an anonymous check this morning to pay for the damages to the building! Can you believe it? You’re still going to have to fix everything inside of course, but there’s some money left and I think you should take it.”

Furihata shook his head furiously and gripped the strap to his bag tighter. “I can’t accept this, if it’s for the building it belongs to you.”

His landlord beamed and continued to poke at him with the check. “And you put my building on national television! I don’t need the extra money, so take it to get a new refrigerator for your store. I know you could use a little help, and you’re a nice kid. Get your business up and running again so you can sell flowers to all of the people who want to see the spot where Imperial Red took down Nitromaster.” He smiled warmly at the young florist and held the check out one more time.

Furihata looked at the determination in his landlord’s eyes and let himself give up, thanking him over and over again. At first the burly man has intimidated him, but once he got past the rough exterior, he turned out to be a good-hearted man. Furihata counted his blessings for the nth time as the man moved on to brag about his daughter's first school play.

Once his landlord left to attend to other things, Furihata finally took a look at the check. The amount covered just about half of a new refrigerator. His savings would still take a hit, but he was no longer responsible for the damage to the building itself. The extra money meant that he could still afford rent for both his shop and apartment as long as he went on a temporary ramen diet. After Friday, of course. Friday was special.

After pausing for a minute to take a deep breath, he tidied up the best he could. In all honesty the store didn’t look half as bad as he had feared. Thanks to Imperial Red, most of the glass had already been cleaned up. All he had to do now was sweep up the remaining shards and remove all of the damaged flowers. There was a table that had been knocked over, but the doctor insisted that he avoid heavy lifting, so that would have to be left it there. He made a mental note to ask Kagami for help later. All of the flowers that survived the incident were made into smaller bouquets within the hour, and Furihata spent the rest of the morning selling them to those who happened to pass by. They were sold at a discounted price since the flowers weren’t in the best shape, but the money he made was just enough to buy some extra groceries to prepare for Friday. He still hadn’t quite decided on what he wanted to get, but he hoped that walking through the nearby supermarket would give him some ideas.

“Furihata-kun?” a familiar voice called out to him as he approached the store. He spun around to find the source, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he found Kuroko standing inches away on his right side.

“H-Hi, Kuroko-kun. What are you doing here?” Furihata gulped and did what he could to mask the shock in his voice. No matter how much time he spent around his former teammate, he could never get used to Kuroko’s sudden appearances.

“I was in the area and thought I should visit you, actually. May I ask where you are going, Furihata-kun?”

“Ah, I’m going to the grocery store, actually. I’ve already done what I can for today.” He let out a shaky laugh and scratched his head. “Do you have any ideas on what I should make on Friday? It's only Tuesday and I'm already nervous. "

Kuroko's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and his brows scrunched together. After a minute of strange and pained looks, his eyes finally softened when his gaze landed back on the florist. He turned towards the market and quietly said, "I think something simple will be fine. Perhaps some tofu or a curry."

Furihata smiled and looked up to consider his suggestion. "Yeah, that makes sense. Thank you, Kuroko-"

No one was there. He had looked away for a moment and he had disappeared.

"Kuroko-kun?" Furihata's smile left him as he tried to find any sign of his friend, but he was nowhere to be seen. "If he had to go he could have told me," he grumbled, "and he didn't need to use misdirection. Who does that?"

With a sigh, he shuffled into the grocery store alone. At least he had gotten some advice before he had been ditched. He'd take all the help he could get. It wasn't every day that he had to plan a dinner worth serving a superhero, after all.


	2. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Furihata has been waiting all week for this day, but will his nerves get the best of him?

It was nearly 6:30 and almost everything was in order. The rice cooker had just popped, the soup and curry were almost done, and the table was set. The only thing stopping Furihata from turning off the stove and stepping out the door was his hair. It was a mess. Everything he had tried so far had been useless, and he was running out of time. It would take ten minutes to finish up the food, and another fifteen to walk to his shop. That left him with five minutes to fix this disaster before he had to get moving. 

He frowned at his reflection and tried to pat it down again. He just _had_ to take a nap face first in the pillow. This called for desperate measures. Furihata pulled out his phone and tapped out a number. One ring...two rings… “Come on...pick up pick up!”

“Kuroko speaking.”

Oh thank god. “Kuroko-kun you have to help me! I need to leave in 12 minutes and the curry isn’t done and my hair looks like your bedhead please please please what do I do??”

“Furihata-kun please calm down. Just pour hot water on that spot and brush it out. You’ll be fine.”

“...Water?”

“Yes, Furihata-kun. Now if you don’t mind I need to go. Kagami-kun is getting impatient, and those handcuffs aren't going to hold forever.”

"WHAT?" He screamed, but the line was already dead. Did Kuroko always have to be so blunt? He would have been perfectly happy pretending that they only held hands. God. It was like that time he found a shoebox in the corner of his mom's closet while playing hide-and-seek. He was five and didn't understand what it was time, but he did remember running to his dad crying because it was buzzing after he shook it. Dinner that night was uncomfortable to say the least. Fukuda and Kawahara had been sent home immediately, and his parents sat him down to have a talk about privacy and why he was too young to know what was in the box. By the time he was old enough to understand what he had stumbled upon as a child, he wished he had never found anything at all. And now, he knew that Kuroko and Kagami were doing things with handcuffs right this moment. Probably with things that belonged in a shoebox. He shuddered and focused on the task at hand. Hot water and a brush. 

3 minutes later, Furihata had finally managed to turn his terrible bedhead into at least a cuter I-did-this-on-purpose bedhead. “I don’t know why I didn’t think about hot water…” He muttered to himself as walked back into the kitchen. He turned off the stove and went over to stare at his shoes. He had put on a forest green button up and cuffed jeans earlier, but he had forgotten to plan ahead when it came to footwear. Tan, casual oxfords should do. Hopefully he would be at least sort of presentable. Ignoring the small stab of pain from his side, he stuffed his feet into the shoes and dashed out. He had one minute to spare, and he needed it to grab cake from the bakery at the edge of the park. 

__________________

Furihata tried to look casual as he half jogged to his almost repaired flower shop. There had been an indecisive kid in front of him, and too much time had been wasted watching the boy go back and forth between chocolate cake and cream puffs. He had ended up choosing the chocolate cake, and had taken the last piece. Furihata internally screamed and asked for a slice of taro cake and a slice of lemon cake instead, hoping that those would be good enough. By the time he had gotten to the storefront, Imperial Red was already standing there, looking handsome as ever. His hair was styled impeccably. It gave him that I-woke-up-like-this air about him, something that Furihata tried and failed to achieve less than an hour ago. His grey shirt had been rolled up to his elbows, and tailored pants led to shoes that looked more expensive than his entire outfit put together. Just who was this guy? The sunglasses were still on, of course, but he hardly noticed them when he was distracted by such a dazzling smile.. 

“Furihata-kun, good evening.” His heart skipped a beat, and he tried to collect himself before opening his mouth. 

“H-Hi Sei-san, sorry I’m late. I got slowed down at the bakery.” He lifted his hand to show the small box carrying their desserts and grinned. “I promise it’s great though! I was going to get us chocolate cake, but they were sold out.”

Sei looked at him and lifted a box of his own. “If that is from Hidemi Sugino then I believe I got two of the last three slices of chocolate cake for us.”

Furihata blinked at him, and then at the box, and then back to him. 

“I thought that it would only be fair of me to bring dessert since you were already making dinner.” 

“Oh, that’s ok! Thank you though. Maybe we can just decide which ones to eat after dinner then?”

“Of course. Shall we go?”

“Y-Yes.” They stood there, hands and boxes half raised, staring at each other. Well, Furihata assumed that they were staring at each other. The glasses made it hard to tell. A few moments later, he realized that he was supposed to lead the way. “Ah! I’m sorry, uh, ok. We can either walk around the park or go through it, is there a way you would prefer?” To be honest, going through the park would take an extra ten minutes or so, but he felt like it was worth it. The leaves were starting to change color for the fall, and the way they framed that pathway was magical. His favorite spot was on the bridge near the lake. When the sun was setting and the wind was just right, the entire lake was bathed in warmth. The leaves would float by, and every time he watched them he felt like his troubles were taken away with them. The view might not be as spectacular as what Sei-san had seen flying, but it was the best view he could find, and he wanted to share it.

Sei-san turned towards park. "I see no reason as to why we can't enjoy the view on our way there. Unless it causes you any problems in regards to dinner, of course."

Furihata's cheeks turned pink at the thought of a romantic stroll with the handsome man and shook his head. "If you don't mind waiting a few minutes for me to reheat the food, we can take as long as we want in the park."

The redhead's eyebrows raised and the telltale signs of a smirk began to form. "Oh? Well in that case, we must take our time. I wouldn't want to miss anything, after all. I've been told it's quite beautiful this time of year."

He tucked a stray hair behind his ear with a small nod, and the two of them set off into the park. At first their walk was more or less silent- he wasn’t sure where to start without asking him any personal questions. He didn’t know him very well at all, but he did know that he got excited every time he saw Imperial Red on tv, and had butterflies in his stomach since Monday. It was more than the fact that he was gorgeous. It was the way he never backed down from a challenge. It was how he had been carried him like he was something precious, and how he never felt like he was anything less than an equal, despite their obvious gap in class and power. It was everything together that made the man next to him all kinds of attractive, and all kinds of intimidating. The stroll through the park was still beautiful, though, and Sei-san eventually spoke up to ask him about his shop and how repairs were coming along. Once the conversation had gotten started, the walk went by a lot more quickly, even as their pace slowed. Apparently they had both played basketball in high school, and it made him wonder if they had crossed paths before. There had been many matches in high school, but he was sure that he would have remembered if they played against each other back then. 

While talking about basketball, they touched on each other’s hobbies. It turned out they both had an unhealthy obsession with the newest cooking competition on TV, and a love for cats, despite not having any of their own. When Sei-san tried to make a joke about their similarities, it was so horrible that Furihata couldn’t help but laugh, but it did take him a minute to realize that it was a joke at all. Much to the superhero’s chagrin, he admitted that he had been told he couldn’t tell a joke to save his life. It put him on a more human level though, and speaking with him became much more pleasant than nerve wracking. Sei-san shared a handful of horrible jokes he had attempted in the past, and in exchange, Furihata told him about the time a teammate had made a joke he didn’t understand. When he asked the meaning of the joke, everyone either avoided or lied to him, which lead to a humiliating month of walking around asking people to “fist him.” When he finally found out what it actually was he had been mortified, and was unable to make eye contact with anyone for the rest of the week. The two of them giggled at his expense, and soon it turned to silly high school stories. Sei-san made sure to never reveal personal details, but he did assure him that he was truthful in everything he was comfortable in sharing. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to see a different side of the man he often sighed dreamily at on his television. 

Upon seeing the bridge, the brunet excitedly pulled the other along to show him. It was a dark by now, but the view was beautiful nonetheless. “I want to show you my favorite part of the park! This is the best view of the lake, and the leaves are so pretty. I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at a place.” His smile dropped into a small “o” when he looked back at Sei-san and found him staring at him like he was the prettiest thing, and not the lake that glimmered in the moonlight. He dropped his head to hide a blush, and realized that he was still clutching a muscular arm that didn’t belong to him. He jolted back and fumbled with the cake box until he secured it back in his hand. After an embarrassed cough, he stumbled through an excuse and powered through the rest of the walk to his apartment. The hero said nothing of it, but his tone afterwards had a playful lift to it, and questions became more teasing. It took all of Furihata’s strength to not turn beet red as they came out of the park and crossed the street towards his apartment. He could give it as good as he got, but it didn’t mean that he could do it with a straight face. On top of that, Sei-san seemed to become more amused and more flirtatious each time. At this rate, he wasn't sure how long he'd last, or if they would make it to dinner at all.

The door clicked open and Furihata all but fell into his apartment. He held the door open for the other to enter and gestured to where he could leave his shoes. 

“Please make yourself comfortable while I reheat the food. Would you like anything to drink while you wait?”

Sei-san looked around his small studio and sat down at the table. It was probably a closet compared to the superhero's apartment, but it was what he could comfortably afford, and he had grown to like it. “I’d like some tea, if it isn’t any trouble.”

He nodded and turned to turn the stove back on and pull a couple of mugs out of the cabinet. After deliberating, he pulled out a nice oolong he had gotten as a gift last year. It tasted like papayas and made him feel like he was running through a tropical forest, so he couldn’t see why anyone would dislike it. He unlocked the water boiler and filled both cups, then carried them over the the table. “I hope that this is ok, it’s one of my favorites. I think the food will be hot in a few minutes, so we should be able to eat soon.”

Sei-san held the mug up and took a careful sip. After a moment, his body stilled and he looked at him with brows raised. “Where did you find this?”

Oh no. Was it garbage tea compared to what he was used to? “I-it was a gift from my friend. He brought it back from his trip to America. I can make something else if you don’t like it!”

The redhead looked down at his mug and cupped it with both of his hands. “On the contrary, I am rather fond of this tea. I simply asked because I have not been able to find it in quite a while, but if it is from America that would explain it.” His clutch on the mug tightened and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I grew up drinking this tea. It was my mother’s favorite.”

Furihata stopped fiddling with his own cup and stared. Was? He wasn’t sure if he should ask about it or not. Deciding to save it for later, he ran back into the kitchen. He would have to hurry back so the other wouldn’t think that he had abandoned him, but if the situation was how he imagined, then there was only one thing that he could think to do. He ran back out a minute later to a very confused man, hands still clutching the mug like a lost treasure. Holding out a tall tin, he pushed it onto the table. “If it was your mother’s favorite, than I’d like for you to have the rest. It’s mostly full, and I know it isn’t much, but if it brings back happy memories then I think that you’ll appreciate it a lot more than I will.”

For the first time since meeting him, Furihata saw Sei-san lose his composure. He gaped and tried to protest, weakly pushing it back in his direction, but the brunet insisted. “If I ever want more, I’m sure that my friend can get me some next time. I can see that this must be important to you, so please take it. I want you to have it.”

Sei-san stared at him for a good while. Finally, he let out a shaky laugh and put down his mug to take the tin into his hands. “Thank you. You’re very kind” He wiped away a stray tear from under his sunglasses. “She would have liked you very much.“

Furihata smiled and left him to his memories. He poured a couple of bowls of miso soup back in the kitchen, put them down on the table, and ran back to prepare two plates of curry before returning. When he set everything down with some utensils, Sei-san put the tin to the side and gave him a look that made his stomach do somersaults. It was that look he had seen nothing- the one that made him feel like he was the most important thing in the room. He thanked him for dinner and they ate in a comfortable silence. Towards the end of the meal, Furihata noticed that while the miso soup had been mostly drunk, the seaweed had been left at the bottom of the bowl. Maybe he didn’t like seaweed? He made a note to remember that for next time, and found himself trying not to choke at the thought of a next time at all. Sei-san looked at him with a crooked grin, but said nothing. 

Too soon, their meal was over, and all that was left was dessert. Sei-san helped him clean up despite his objections, and they moved to the couch to eat their cake. They decided on eating one lemon cake and one chocolate cake, so they could both have a bit of each. Furihata tried to contain himself at the thought of sharing dessert together. He excused himself to put the rest of the cakes into the fridge and grab utensils. However, when he had returned, Sei-san was standing and running a hand through his hair, eyebrows scrunched together. Furihata saw his turn towards his direction, and couldn't help but wonder what had happened. The superhero sighed and walked towards him. 

“Please accept my apologies. It seems that there is trouble downtown, and I’ve been called upon. I had a wonderful time, and would like to return the favor. May I get your phone number so we can set up another date?” He gave an apologetic smile and held out his phone, already set to a new contact page.

His heart sank as he agreed and entered his information. Once he was done, he passed the phone back and ran over to get the tin for him. Sei-san thanked him and put his shoes back on. It was the end of the date already, and while he was excited to have given him his phone number, he couldn’t help but be disappointed that their night couldn’t continue. Sei-san looked back at him and grabbed his hand. He flushed when it was brought up and he felt soft lips brushing against his skin. “Thank you for the evening, Furihata-kun. I look forward to seeing you again.” Furihata stuttered out a farewell and closed the door. He walked back to the couch on autopilot and plopped into the cushions. His mind was running 1000 miles an hour and he couldn’t stop staring at the spot on his hand that had been kissed. He never expected for them to get along so well, or that Imperial Red would actually like him enough to ask for his contact information. He took out his phone and found a text message from an unknown number. 

_Let’s share the cake tomorrow at the park. 2pm? I’ll bring sandwiches and wine. -Sei_

Furihata gave himself a moment to bury his face into the couch and freak out a little bit. A second date tomorrow? He'd think he was dreaming if it weren't for the bruises that still complained when he moved. He quickly put the cakes back into the fridge and turned on the news. The camera was far from the scene- they had to be for safety reasons, but he could make out a red blur fly in and out of the shot every now and then, usually chasing after or being chased by a silver one. 

He watched the news closely and tapped out a quick message. He was feeling bold now that he had a date secured for tomorrow. If Sei-san could fight crime, surely he could reply to a text message.

_Sounds great! Let me know if you need someone to nurse you back to health tomorrow（ゝ。∂）_

He hit send and stared at his phone. He wanted to tell someone, but he didn't know who. Kuroko is who he had been talking to about Imperial Red, but he was still slightly scarred from their last conversation. He settled for his mom and patiently listened to her squeal and gush over every detail. They watched the rest of the news coverage of the fight together over the phone, and talked until his head started to nod off. At that point, he was sent to bed after a promise to fill her in tomorrow night. 

Flopping onto the bed, Furihata wrapped himself with the comforter and checked his phone one more time. No response yet. He sighed and hugged a pillow, wishing it was a someone instead of a something. Furihata snuggled into it anyways and let himself fall asleep. If things continued to go well, maybe it could be replaced with something much nicer one day. A something with red hair and strong arms to hold him with. His dreams that night were filled soft touches and warm kisses, and what tomorrow would bring. For the first time all week, Furihata slept through the night with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! Everything has been kind of crazy lately, so I think I'll probably have to switch my writing schedule around to make sure I'm able to update on a regular basis. I'll let you all know when I have those days set in stone!  
> The fisting thing is from [incorrectknb](http://incorrectknb.tumblr.com/tagged/furisting). Please go look if you don't know the joke, because it's probably one of my favorite things of all time


	3. A Different Kind of Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Furihata's shop has finally reopened, and on top of that, Sei-san was picking him up for his dream date. Nothing could ruin this day.

Furihata beamed as he swung open the doors to his shop. Finally, everything had been replaced and he could start selling. It had been two weeks since the picnic in the park, and while they weren’t able to see each other as often as he liked, he was still floating through life on clouds. On Saturday, Sei-san had set up a small picnic by the time he got to the park, and they spent the entire afternoon eating and sharing more stories. Of course, Sei-san’s stories had to be edited to leave out personal details, but they were fascinating nonetheless. The sandwiches that Sei-san brought had been from a nice cafe that he had been meaning to try, and he almost cried at how good they were. They had the chocolate cake Sei-san had bought next. That was a whole nother experience. Furihata managed to work up his courage and scoot closer. Sei-san gave him a sly look that instantly sent blood to his cheeks and left him stammering. As time went on though, he relaxed and slowly relaxed and began to flirt back, albeit more subtly. Not everyone had the confidence of a national hero. Time flew by, and suddenly it was sundown. They bid each other goodbye, sending long looks as they parted. 

His phone hadn’t left his side since that day, texts flying back and forth between the two whenever they got a chance. The texts started off with an innocent tone, asking about each other’s days and various things they liked, but soon the tone of their messages changed. “Good night” turned into “Sweet dreams.” “I had sushi for dinner” became “I wish you were here.” Furihata was sure that he had never blushed so much in his life- his face felt hot far more than what should be considered healthy. He was also sure that he had never been so excited about a possible love interest before. There had been guys in the past he had dated and cared for, but none of them ever made his heart soar or his stomach do somersaults. The closest he ever came to that before had ended in a disaster. 

The phone pinged and Furihata lunged for it. They had been planning their next date, and he couldn’t wait. So far, they had eaten another meal at his apartment, gone to the arcade, and visited an art gallery. There were limits as to what they could do because of Sei-san’s need to stay anonymous, but overall they could ignore the stares at his sunglasses (they always did things at night or inside) and just enjoy each other’s company. Today they had decided to go to an amusement park, and Furihata could barely contain his excitement. 

When he was 14 he had watched a Korean soap opera with his mom, and there was an episode where the main protagonist and her date went to an amusement park. They shared snacks and got silly pictures of them on the roller coasters and in photo booths. The best part though, was when they took the ferris wheel to the top and watched the fireworks together, just enjoying each other’s company. When he saw that scene, he let out a tiny gasp and swore to have a moment as magical as this when he was older. Fukuda and Kawahara laughed at him for “being such a girl” when he told them the next week, but it never phased him. It was something he had looked forward to for years, and today he finally had the chance to make it happen.

_Congratulations on the reopening of your store. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help, especially given my role in the damages._

He giggled and plopped himself back onto the stool. 

_You’ve done more than enough, really! You already stopped by last week and helped me get everything ready like you promised. If it’s still not enough, you can buy me some ice cream and we’ll call it even~_

A moment later, the phone blinked again. He reached to pick it up again when his first customer walked in. He straightened up and dropped the phone into his pocket, walking over to greet them. Everything may not have gone right at first, but things were finally starting to look up. As soon as the first customer left, another came in, and then another. Soon, his little shop was filled with people who all wanted to see where Imperial Red had landed, and the one he had saved. By the time lunch came around his head was spinning from all of the questions and exclamations, but it was definitely helping him even out his bank account after fixing everything up. He could have gotten a cheaper fridge and pocketed the extra money, but he really needed one that stretched from floor to ceiling to keep the space from feeling cramped or dingy. The extra light that flooded through the glass panes from both the refrigerator and the glass facing the street were what he depended on to really brighten up the place. 

Furihata tended to customer after customer, and suddenly his day was coming to an end. He had managed to squeeze in a sandwich and some replies during a slower hour, but the rest of his time was filled with clients and bouquets . He still couldn’t get his mind off of the fact that his date would be picking him up in a matter of minutes. Sending away his last customer, he scuttled about to close up shop, locking the door just as Sei-san pulled up. 

Sei-san left his car to open the door near the curb, smiling as Furihata bounced towards his car. "Hello, Furihata-kun. How was your reopening?"

Furihata beamed."Hi Sei-san, it was great! Haha lots of people came." He resisted the urge to throw his arms around him and jumped into the car. "I'm a little tired, but I've been really excited about tonight!” 

He watched as Sei-san circled back over and closed the door. He glanced at him with a warm smile, and they were off. Half an hour later, they arrived and walked up to the ticket counter. Sei-san insisted to pay for the tickets, much to his dismay.

“Sei-san, please let me pay for my ticket. I can’t make you pay for everything!” 

“Nonsense Furihata-kun, you cooked me dinner, and the only thing I’ve done is buy sandwiches and arcade tokens. Plus, it has been my schedule that has kept up from meeting sooner. Please allow me to make up for it tonight.”

He looked at Sei-san, whose lips were pulled into a straight line, and gave in. If paying for his ticket was that important, he could let it go. Maybe he could get them a snack inside instead. Once they were in, Furihata looked at his date and made a decision. This was no time to be shy. They clearly liked each other, and even if he had his doubts, he knew that he would be upset with himself if he let Sei-san think otherwise. He grabbed Sei-sans hand and grinned, ignoring the warmth that traveled to his cheeks. “So we don’t lose each other.”

Sei-san looked down at their now intertwined hands, then back up. Furihata noticed that there was a pink tint to the redhead’s cheeks as well, and felt his heart flutter. He went forward and pulled until they were walking side by side, talking at lightning speed about his favorite kinds of rides (he made sure to sound casual when he mentioned the ferris wheel,) and running towards a roller coaster once he heard him say, “I’ve actually never been to a place like this before, but I have heard good things about roller coasters.”

“You’ve never been?? I can’t believe it! We’re going to try to go on everything then, it’s settled!” Furihata explained everything to him as they waited in line. How could Sei-san have not been to an amusement park before? He knew that hiss mother was no longer with him, but hadn’t his dad taken him or at least let him go with his friends? While he was baffled, he was also a little happy to be able to show all of this to him, and for them to have a new experience together.

Much to his disappointment, Sei-san didn’t have an amazing time on the roller coaster. “It’s just like flying, but sitting. I can see why it may be exciting to others, but I don’t think this is the ride for me. I do like our picture though.” 

He had to agree on the picture. Seeing himself screaming and looking at Sei-san while he just sat there like he was in some kind of dull board meeting was kind of funny. There was some creepy guy with his hood on in the back row, but he ignored it. He quickly snapped a picture with his phone and told himself to set it as his wallpaper when he got home; he could always crop out everyone else. It was too bad that it wasn’t his favorite, but there were still plenty of rides to go on. “If you don’t like them, should we go on some slower rides? They aren’t as exciting, but they all tell really fun stories, and it’s slow and warm inside.” At that Sei-san nodded and his shoulders relaxed. That’s right… he did say that he had some kind of big office job, so he may have had a long day. They could just take it easy then- it wouldn't be fair to Sei-san to make him go on all of these fast rides he didn't really enjoy, especially if he came straight from stressful job just to be with him.

The slower rides turned out to be a much better experience. Sei-san was completely captivated in the little worlds that each one created. It was adorable to see his entire demeanor lift and sparkle when something extra special happened. His favorite reaction so far was one where his mouth dropped just a tiny bit his hand was squeezed a little tighter. Three rides later, they took a break to eat in the food court. Furihata paid for their dinner, pizza, and Sei-san bought a mango ice cream for Furihata and a mango ice cream for himself. He found himself blushing again when they traded to try each other's dessert. It somehow felt intimate, even if they weren't feeding each other by hand. All he could think of was indirect kisses, and thought of when the timing would be right for them to share a real kiss. Maybe after a few more dates? They hadn't even really had one of those heart thumping hugs yet, and he wasn't really in a rush, even if he spent an embarrassing amount of time daydreaming about it.

Soon it was dark, and the park was slowing down. They had managed to go on almost every slow ride and win each other stuffed animals at a couple of the game booths (they gave the extras to kids and kept their favorites.) When Sei-san beat him at almost every one, he teased him about having an unfair advantage. His aim was just a little too accurate for the average human. What he got in return was a sly smile and a promise that he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. His question was if it was ordinary for someone like himself, or ordinary for someone with crazy telekinesis? Whatever. The fluffy pink lion he got from Sei-san was super cute and something he could cuddle with later in bed, so he excused any bending of the rules in favor of some friendly, albeit lopsided competition.

Furihata jumped when he realized that it was almost time for the fireworks. He tugged Sei-san along towards the back of the park as soon as they finished their last game. However once got in line for the ferris wheel, Furihata’s mind started to race. What if it didn’t meet his expectations? Would Sei-san even like a ride this plain? Maybe his view of the city at night made something as simple as a glorified hamster wheel super lame. Oh god. He was going to take one of Japan’s most powerful men and force him into a squished bench with no music or story. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts and give himself a reminder that Sei-san was here for him, and not just for the rides. 

Furihata handed his plushie to Sei-san and excused himself, giving him a reassuring smile when he saw that his eyes didn’t leave him as he walked away. Luckily a bathroom was nearby, so he quickly ran inside and bent over nearby sink to splash water on his face. He could do this, and he would make sure that it was just as romantic as his dreams. Sei-san would look into his eyes, and they would have a moment at the top of the ferris wheel. Maybe afterwards, he could get one of those tight hugs before they parted ways.

Feeling better, he got back up with a more confident, but froze when he saw a tall, grey haired man standing behind him- he smelled of smoke and his skin was covered in scars. Furihata's stomach dropped and he felt a chill go down his spine at the sharp eyes piercing through him.

“H-hi, can I help you?” 

“You’re Furihata Kouki, aren’t you?” He stepped closer and Furihata inched towards the doorway best as he could while pressed against the sink.

His eyes widened and he tried to control his shaking legs. “I think you have the wrong person...I’m sorry but I need to be going now. Someone is waiting for me.”

The man flashed his teeth and Furihata was reminded of a lion that had found his prey. “Oh, I know.” The stranger's arm flew up towards Furihata's head. He managed to duck just as the fist came towards him, but slipped onto his knees in the process. On the floor now, he knew that every second he stayed still was a second closer to danger. He didn’t know who this man was, but he was suffocating in the shadow of his assailant and there was only one path to take. The man recovered from his powerful swing and turn back towards him, stomping after the frantic brunet. Furihata scrambled to get up and out the door. He was almost close enough to grab it and swing it shut on his way out. If he was fast enough, he could buy himself enough time to reach Sei-san. His hand was inches from the handle when he was pulled away, his arm crying out when it was twisted back. The man instantly smothered him with some kind of cloth when he managed to grab him. Furihata knew that he was running out of time- there was only one reason to clamp something like that over his nose and mouth. If he woke up somewhere familiar or anywhere with tools he could find a way to save himself, but there was no telling what was in store for him. With the last of his strength, Furihata elbowed the man in the chest to pull away from the cloth. 

“SEI-SAN!” He screamed at the top of his lungs as his vision started to get hazy. He kicked and squirmed in any way he could imagine, but it wasn’t enough. He had put everything he had into his desperate cry for help, and he knew that the chances of being heard over the start of thundering fireworks were next to none. There was nothing left to do but hope.

“Fuck this.” Those were the last words he heard before the side of his head was slammed into the wall and darkness overtook him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so long :(  
> I just couldn't get it quite right, but Niri sent me some fun 3 sentence prompts and got my creative juices flowing again, so thank you! Hope you guys like it! I assume some of you will hate me instead, but it can't be helped lol


	4. S.O.S.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Furihata had nothing. All he could do was hope.

It was dark and cramped. It had been since he had woken up. Furihata groaned as he felt another bump. It has taken him a few minutes to figure out that he had been tied up and thrown into the trunk of a car, and even longer to remember how he had even gotten there in the first place. It was hard to think when it felt like he had the world’s worst hangover. Every swerve made his stomach churn, and his head felt like it was going to explode. All he could remember was being attacked in the bathroom, and a sharp pain followed by nothing. He didn’t even know how long he had been awake or how long he had been stuck in this stupid car.

Sei-san was either still waiting for him or thought that he had been ditched. He sorely wished that it was the former. There was no way he would have ever left voluntarily, and if he was lucky, Sei-san would have realized it and gone looking for him. Furihata froze when he felt a low buzz from his back pocket. Had the stranger forgotten to take his phone? He tried to stay rational as not get his hopes get too high. There was still a high chance that trying to call for help wouldn't work. If he used it now, he wouldn’t be able to tell anyone where he was, but if he waited, there was the risk of it being taken before he could even make the call. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he was caught. Furihata prayed as he twisted into a position that would let his tied hands reach to pull the phone out of his pocket, and tried to ignore how the light made his eyes burn.

3 missed calls and 4 messages from Sei-san. 1 message from Kuroko. He felt the car slow to a stop and panicked. Furihata put his phone on silent and jammed out “ **SOS** ” to the first message he managed to open, then shoved his phone back into his pocket. The crunch of footsteps became louder, and Furihata forced his body to relax as the trunk clicked open. He had never been kidnapped before, but he knew that being awake wouldn’t do him any good.

Someone loomed over him and scoffed. “What’s so special about you, anyways? Seijuurou shouldn’t have wasted time bothering with someone so ordinary.”

...Seijuurou? Was that Sei-san’s actual name? Where had he heard that name before?

Before he could wrack his brain to find an answer, he was grabbed and thrown over a hard shoulder. The thud of the trunk almost made Furihata flinch, but he kept himself from moving until he had been carried a short distance. When he felt like it was safe, he opened his eyes. His heart fell. From the looks of it, he had just been carried into some building under construction. All he could see was that the car was red- there were no big landmarks or visible street signs. If he were to guess, they were on the outskirts of town, maybe in an area that was still developing. He shut his eyes again as he was set down in a corner.

“Let’s see what you do now that I have your ‘boyfriend,’ Seijuurou.” The footsteps quieted until there was nothing, and Furihata fumbled to pull his phone back out. More missed calls, voicemails, and text messages. He found Sei-san’s number and pressed it- he hoped to god that he would pick up before something else happened.

Before the first ring finished, the line clicked on. “Furihata-kun, where are you? I’ve been unable to find you since you left for the restroom. Is everything alright?”

Furihata let out a shaky breath and pressed the phone against his ear. He whispered, “Sei-san, some guy with grey hair found me in the bathroom and took me somewhere. P-please, I’m scared.”

There was a moment of silence. “Furihata-kun, did you get a look at the car or your surroundings? I’m coming to find you.”

“The car was red, and we’re in some kind of building that’s still under construction. There isn’t a lot around. I sounded like there were pebbles or rocks in the parking lot, and there were a lot of turns. He said he knew who I was..”

“I understand. Please stay safe until I find you. Keep him preoccupied. The one you’ve been taken by was the one I fought the day we met. He is very dangerous and he will not hesitate to harm you.”

“Sei-san, I-”

The phone was ripped from his hands and he yelled out in surprise. A dark laugh came from behind him. “Hey, _Sei-san_ , long time no talk. You have twenty minutes to get to the lot we used to practice in. I know you know how to get here. If you don’t, well,” he kicked Furihata in the ribs and sneered when he cried out, “I can’t promise that your newest play-thing will make it back to you the way you’d like him. Bye now.” He cut off the call, and Furihata watched in horror as his phone was tossed to the floor. Moments later, it exploded. Pieces flew apart and lay about, burning. “You’ve seen meach fighting on TV before, I’m assuming. Don’t do anything funny. My control over my powers has gotten much better over the years. And thank you for making the call. I wasn’t sure if you’d be dumb enough to try, but you’ve made my life a lot easier.”

Furihata’s stomach dropped. He let himself be tricked into thinking he was lucky enough to call for help. Now he had put Sei-san in danger as well. The nausea returned, and Furihata pushed himself up to sit against the wall. Sei-san told him to keep him distracted. All he had to do was stall and hope.

“I...Y-you’re Nitromaster, right? I thought that you were done. Last time you said that it was your last fight if you lost.”

Nitromaster looked down at him and frowned. “Last time didn’t count. He decided to leave early so he could take you to the hospital. I want a rematch that isn’t going to get interrupted by some random commoner like you.”

So it was his fault. All he’d done so far was cause Sei-san trouble.

“If you’re thinking that it’s your fault he’s probably going to die tonight, you’re right. Don’t worry, he deserves to. He’s a shitty person and an even shittier boyfriend. But I guess you’ll get to find out for yourself if you both manage to get out of here tonight.”

“...You dated him?”

He scoffed and put his hands on his hips. “Why do you think we hate each other so much? He was always secretive, even to the rest of us. When he wasn’t busy saving the world or bossing people around, he was working his stupid day job and pretending he cared. And he did.. at the beginning. Then he got bored. See the thing about your precious Sei-san is that he doesn't care about if he decides you aren't important enough. He’ll just let you sit there and rot. And we knew each other for years. We fought and practiced our skills together. You? How long do you think someone like you will last? You have no skills, no powers, no money. Hell, you barely even have an apartment, let alone a career. All you’ve got are flowers as average as you are. You’re nothing. You’re below nothing. After he tries to save you, if he does, it’ll only be a matter of time before gets bored and leaves you behind too. See how you’ll turn out after that.”

Nitromaster continued to talk, but it became hard to listen after that. It was obvious that he probably wasn’t the most reliable source of information, but Furihata couldn’t deny that all of those things had already crossed his mind, and having his insecurities reinforced was painful. The ache in his chest was far worse than the throb of his head or the scrapes on his legs. He really was nothing compared to people like them. The corners of his eyes started to sting. He had always been average, and that’s all he ever would be. He let himself get caught up in the fantasy, and now he was paying the price.

“Shougo, leave him out of this.”

Furihata blinked and looked up. On the far side of the empty floor stood Sei-san- no, Imperial Red. His expression was cold as he stared down Nitromaster.

“Heh, so you did make it. What now, Mr. Hero? Gonna kick my ass and take back your damsel in distress?”

Sei-san looked over at Furihata and his eyes softened. “Yes, actually I am. Now if we could step outside and take care of this, I would appreciate it.”

“With pleasure.” He grabbed Furihata by the collar and pulled him up, half dragging him with them as they left for the abandoned parking lot. Furihata looked around- apparently Nitromaster wanted a fight, but even he wasn’t crazy enough to have it inside. The building didn’t have all of its reinforcements yet, and a battle involving explosions and flying chunks of cement probably would have killed everyone, super or not.

Outside, Furihata was re-tied to a light pole, and Sei-san walked to the other side of the parking lot, which Furihata appreciated. He would probably be spared as long as Sei-san didn’t come flying into him (again) or Nitromaster didn’t decide to just blow him up for fun.

The air stood still. Their past was still a mystery to him, but it was clear that whatever affection they used to have had been replaced with loathing. Without warning, a hand was raised in his direction and blast erupted next to Furihata, and he heard cackling when he yelled.

“Your fight isn’t with him Shougo,” Sei-san said, “it’s with me.” He threw a hand behind him, and parking blocks ripped away from the asphalt, flying towards his enemy. Nitromaster ran and slid away, but got hit in the shoulder when Sei-san’s hand tweaked and one of the blocks swerved to follow him. He groaned and got back up, launching his counter attack.

Sei-san took to the skies and continued homing in on his opponent with any fragment or object available. Explosions littered the sky and it rained concrete- the sounds were deafening and Furihata fought against his binding every time he was forced to watch Sei-san get knocked back by the force of a blast or get scraped by rubble that flew his way.

Nitromaster spit out blood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after a particularly nasty hit that left shards across his chest. Again, he laughed. “You know, the funny thing is, I was telling your boy toy over there that he wouldn’t be good enough for you, but it really is the other way around.” He stumbled behind a divider and released another blast that nearly hit its mark. “I mean he’s plain as hell and probably as sharp as a butter knife, but at least he isn’t a freak like you. He’s not the one to locks himself away. He’s not the one who wears a mask even when the costume is off. And I guarantee you he isn’t on the level of asshole that you are. He’s just some poor idiot I needed to use so I could teach you a lesson.”

Furihata’s hands were starting to bleed from his constant struggle against the rope, but he fought harder than ever when he saw Sei-san falter. “You’re wrong!” He screamed at them, jerking back when both pairs of eyes shot in his direction. “I don’t know what happened to you, but Sei-san isn’t who you say he is. He’s caring and warm, and I’ve never seen him do something mean on purpose or just because he can. You’re the one with the problems. Maybe that’s why you got dumped, because no matter what he tried, you were just too much of a jerk to deal with! He's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, and you can't tell me otherwise!”

Akashi turned to face him fully, hand lowered and and mouth agape. There was something different about the way he looked at him, but it was hard to tell what it was from a distance. Suddenly, an explosion knocked Akashi out of the sky and sent him crashing into the pavement below. “N-no..Sei -san!” Furihata was frozen in terror as he was forced to watch Nitromaster emerge from the shadows with a sickening grin.

“Thanks for the distraction. Turns out you aren’t totally worthless after all.” Tears filled Furihata’s eyes. It was his fault that Sei-san was struggling to stand back up. His feet scraped at the pillar holding him and he ignored the pain his struggle caused. He couldn’t bear just standing there and watching. If only he was stronger or less ordinary. Then he could do something- anything. He would have traded anything in the world to keep this from happening.

A hand clamped over his mouth, muffling his scream. A familiar voice whispered behind him. “Furihata-kun, please stay still. When I am done untying you, please find somewhere to hide.” The hand dropped once he had calmed down and stopped thrashing.

“...Kuroko-kun?”

He felt the ties trapping him start to loosen. “You sent me a text message, so I’ve been communicating with Imperial Red to help. I will explain later- now is not the time.” Furihata and looked behind him when the rope dropped to the ground, but Kuroko was already gone. In a flash, Kuroko was by Sei-san, and they blinked away from an incoming blast. Then, he was next to Nitromaster, kicking his knee and knocking him over. Furihata could only catch glimpses of his friend before he disappeared and reappeared somewhere else.  

“Teleportation...K-Kuroko-kun is Crosscut?” Furihata’s thoughts raced a mile a minute. There were so many questions and no time for answers. Running behind a divider, he tried to follow the flurry of action in front of him. Sei-san was back up; he and Kuroko worked in tandem to cage Nitromaster. Sei-san ripped bars out of the cement block with Kuroko next to him, who teleported them away from every blast, sending the flying bars directly into Nitromaster’s path when they paused long enough for him to do so. It was madness, but it was impossible to look away. Teleportation, flying rods, and explosions all flew back and forth without pause; it was as it Furihata had been sucked into a movie. A bar connected with Nitromaster’s wrist after he faltered from a hit to his leg, and it wrapped around it tight enough to crush bone. He howled in a pain, throwing another explosion with his free hand, but it was too late. A crushing blow had been dealt, and moments later he had been completely locked down with bars twisting around his body. The duo walked over to the furious man and looked down.

“Thank you for your assistance, Tetsuya. Your timing is impeccable, as always.”

“Furihata-kun was both in trouble. I would be a terrible friend if I didn’t come to help.” Kuroko kicked at the man at the ground. “Besides, he went too far this time. I can take him to the police station if you and Furihata-kun want to go and clean up. After that, I need to get back home. Kagami-kun will start to worry if I’m gone for too long.”

“Yes, I would appreciate it. Again, I am in your debt. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you in the future.”

Kuroko nodded and bent down to touch Nitromaster. “Of course, and I’ll message you later so we can figure out where to go from here.” He turned to face Furihata, who was coming out from behind his safe spot. “I’m glad you’re safe, Furihata-kun. Don’t forget to come to dinner next week.” One final look at Sei-san and he, along with Nitromaster, were gone.

Sei-san sighed and staggered forward. Furihata ran and wrapped an arm around him, using the other to hold him up. “Sei-san, are you ok? I’m so sorry this happened, this is all my fault we need to get you to a hospital how are we going to get to there we need to find you some clothes and-”

Sei-san lifted a hand and gave him a tired smile. “Furihata-kun please calm down. We can talk about everything tomorrow. For now, we can take a taxi back to my apartment. I brought clothing to change into, and I have a first aid kit in my closet. Is that alright?”

Furihata nodded and let go of Sei-san. He dragged himself away to change, and Furihata took a deep breath. Tonight had been crazier than could have ever imagined. Within the span of a day, he had gone on a date, been kidnapped, watched the fight of the century, and found out that a close friend was actually a super hero. Now we was going to Sei-san’s apartment for the first time so they could patch their wounds and maybe fall asleep together. Just thinking about it was making his heart race. He wasn’t prepared for it. They hadn’t even kissed yet, and somehow cuddling sounded even more intimate. Furihata slapped his cheeks and stomped in place to get his nerves out. “Calm down. It’ll be fine. You just survived a near death experience, don’t get scared now!”

“Who are you talking to?”

Furihata squeaked and turned around. Sei-san was back, watching him with an amused twinkle in his eyes. “N-n-nobody! Should we find a taxi? Let’s find a taxi!” He turned around before his cheeks gave away his embarrassment and waited for Sei-san to head towards the street before following him.

The ride back to Sei-san’s apartment was shorter than he expected. They sat there in a comfortable silence, Sei-san’s thumb rubbing circles on his hand. The taxi wasn’t exactly the best place to discuss things, and a moment of peace was more than welcome. Furihata did a double take when they stepped outside. The apartment was so much nicer than his could ever be. A tall, pristine highrise stood before him, and the lobby inside led to a sleek elevator. They took it up to Sei-san’s apartment. It was on the corner with floor to ceiling windows spanning across the whole place. The view was beautiful.

“Your place is so nice… I don’t know what you do for a living Sei-san, but I really like your apartment. Wow..” He wandered about to ooh and ahh at the furniture while Sei-san retrieved his first aid kit. When he returned, they sat together on the (ridiculously comfortably) couch. The two of them told each other what happened on each side of tonight’s ordeal while taking turns sanitizing and wrapping the larger wounds. It wasn’t long before exhaustion overpowered conversation; the gauze was dropped in favor of a well deserved rest. They were pretty beat up, but they had survived and they had each other. Furihata felt a steady breath and heartbeat next to him, and wondered why he was had been nervous at all. He couldn't be when being in Sei-san's arms felt like home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am so sorry that this took so long :(  
> On the plus side I have everything planned out in detail from here on out, so the rest of the chapters should come more regularly.
> 
> I wanted to clear up any confusion over Haizaki's name. My intention was that he controls the nitrogen in the air, making it more or less stable for him to make explosions with. I don't know too much about chemistry, but from what I can tell it seems as though nitrogen is a stabilizer. Please let me know if I am wrong or if you have any other comments.
> 
> Thank you for being patient with me!


	5. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If he had learned anything from his last near death experience, it was that he'd be left with bruises.

The headache was back as soon as he woke up. He could hear a voice calling out to him, but he was sure that opening his eyes would only make his headache worse.

 

“Furihata-kun I apologize, but we really must be going.” A gentle nudge tickled his side and he reluctantly sat up, still tired and achy. He could barely remember where he was, but he did recognize the voice.

 

He yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, wishing he could just bury himself back into his arms. The light was painful. “Sei-san?”

 

Furihata felt a hand rest at the small of his back. “Yes, Furihata-kun, I’m here. How are you feeling?” The warmth relaxed him, and he turned to look at Sei-san. His mask was askew, and his usually pristine hair was somewhere between “mauled by an angry raccoon” and “really good sex hair.” It was equal parts cute and sexy, a combination he never thought was possible up until that moment. He found it hard to focus as he began to speak.

 

“I’m ok. The only thing that’s really bothering me is my head, but the cuts and stuff aren’t too bad. What about you?”

 

Sei-san rubbed small circles into his back that sent flutters straight to his stomach. He still couldn’t believe that they had fallen asleep together last night, let alone all of the other madness that happened beforehand. “I’ve had worse, so don’t worry about my well-being. I have a trusted friend in the medical field, and I’d like him to check to make sure that you’ll be alright. If you don't mind, he's made some time to see you in half an hour.”

 

Furihata turned to look at him, suddenly aware of just how close they were on the couch. He fought down a blush as he considered Sei-san’s words.  “Is he also a superhero?”

 

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

 

“Oh, ok.” So that was a yes.

 

An alarm pierced through his thoughts (and his ears) and Akashi checked his phone with a grimace. “I really must be going, Furihata-kun. I’d like to drop you off at his office on my way out. I would feel better if you rested today instead of going to work- you’ve had a stressful night. Is that alright?”

 

Furihata raised his hand to protest, but it died in his throat. He didn’t have much experience in altercations such as last night’s, but his body and brain felt like a soggy sponge. Plus his friends would probably kill him if they found out that he went to work after a night like that.

 

He pouted and slumped back into the couch in defeat. “Yeah, that makes sense. I don’t really want to, but you’re probably right. Can we stop by the shop so I can leave a sign in the window?”

 

“Of course, Furihata-kun.”

 

He followed him out of the apartment after Sei-san changed,  trying not to stare too much as they left the building. The opulent trimmings and pristine floors were dizzying, and the quiet words Sei-san spoke to him were making him lightheaded in their own way. The way that he talked to him was so different from how he sounded last night. While he was fighting, the confidence and power that carried through his voice was intimidating- almost scary. Now though, his voice was soft and soothing, wrapping him in a blanket of comfort .

 

The car ride was a different story. Furihata’s mind started to overflow. There were so many unanswered questions. He hadn’t known Sei-san for very long, but he’d already been through two near death experiences. Would this become a regular thing if they stayed together? Would he ever really be safe? Could he really stay and love someone who lived behind a mask?

 

“Sei-san..”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I know that you have your secrets, but can we talk after you’re done with work today? Because, like you said, a lot of stuff happened, and I would feel a lot better if you could explain at least some of it..”

 

Sei-san examined him with his mouth drawn in a straight line. He sighed and nodded after a minute, taking Furihata’s hand into his own. “I think that’s reasonable. I will stop by your apartment tonight then, Furihata-kun.”

 

Furihata’s hand clutched Sei-san’s, looking down and intertwining their fingers. As long as there was trust, he was sure that they could figure it out.

 

After a quick stop at to write an apology and notice in the window of his shop, Furihata found himself standing in front of a familiar hospital. It had been weeks and weeks since the first incident, but he felt like he had been dropped off for broken ribs just yesterday.

 

“Will you be able to get back to your apartment from here?”

 

Furihata nodded “I can get someone to pick me up or call a taxi.”

 

“Alright. Ask for Midorima Shintarou at the front desk; you can worry about the details later.”

 

“Ok. I’ll see you tonight?”

 

Sei-san smiled at him. “Yes. Take care, Furihata-kun.”

 

With that, the car drove off and Furihata went inside to find whoever Sei-san’s friend was. The front desk led him to a room on the 6th floor, where a man with shiny moss hair and sleek spectacles stood waiting for him. He entered the room and carefully sat onto the table when he was told to do so. Whoever this guy was, he seemed like the serious type. No hello or introduction, just a clipped request.

 

“I take that you’re Furihata-kun?”

 

“Y-yes. Dr. Midorima?”

 

“Correct. Imperial Red had concerns that you received a concussion last night. I've been informed of the events that occurred, so you do not need to make excuses in order to protect anyone. It will be easier if you just tell the truth. What kinds of symptoms are you experiencing?”

 

“Um.. well I’ve been getting headaches, looking at lights kind of hurts, and I was really nauseous last night. I don’t know if that was just nerves or something though. I guess it mostly feels like a hangover that won’t go away?”

 

Dr. Midorima adjusted his glasses and began to scribble on his clipboard, humming. “I see. Have you had problems with dizziness or memory loss?”

 

Thinking back to last night, he cocked his head to the left and frowned. “When I woke up in the trunk last night, I had a really hard time remembering how I got there, and I wouldn’t say I’m really dizzy, but I don’t feel like everything is quite right either.”

 

The scratching of Dr. Midorima’s pen halted. “You lost consciousness?”

 

“Yeah, but I don’t really know for how long or anything. I know the side of my head is where I got hit though.”

 

Furihata found himself shrinking as the doctor scrutinized him and tapped his pen against the edge of his clipboard. “You’re going to need to get a CT scan if you lost consciousness. I don’t suspect permanent damage, but you may have symptoms for weeks, or longer. This sounds like a grade 3 concussion, and should not be taken lightly. I see that here are also lesions on your wrists, but those will heal as long as you keep them clean.

 

“ I’ve been told that you run your own business, but I would recommend you either close until you have recovered, or significantly reduce your workload for the time being.”

 

He felt like screaming. Furihata knew he’d be cutting it close if he took any more time off, but he also knew that he didn’t want his brain to explode from the stress. Everything was so complicated. “I- I’ll figure something out.”

 

“Good. I’ll let a nurse know that you require a CT, and I’ll contact you with the results tomorrow. In the meantime, I would suggest rest. Get something healthy to eat and let your body recover. No TV or any activities that are physically or mentally demanding. I’ll get your contact information from Imperial Red, and we can take care of the rest when you’re feeling better.”

 

Furihata nodded with wide eyes. The doctor wasn't exactly social, but he was definitely good at his job. He watched as Dr. Midorima turned around to get something out of the drawer next to him. Was that… a frog in his pocket?” He quickly looked away when he saw him turning back.

 

“This is acetaminophen to help with your headache. Ibuprofen should be avoided- if you’re bleeding it could make things worse. Call if you need anything else.”

 

He took the packet of acetaminophen with a grateful smile. Thank you, Dr. Midorima.“

 

Dr. Midorima gave a curt nod and pushed his glasses up again. “You’re welcome. And Furihata-kun?”

 

“Y-yes?”

 

“Please consider what kind of relationship you want with Imperial Red. He seems to be quite taken with you, but if you are having second thoughts, you need to consider how your decision will affect him. You seem like a nice person, but he’s had troubles in the past and may not be able to give you what you ask for. It would be for the best to not cause unnecessary pain to either of you.”

 

He turned away and left the room without another word, leaving Furihata even more lost than before. Whoever Dr. Midorima was, he must be close to Sei-san to have heard everything that happened, and to say something like that. He didn’t seem like the kind of person to talk about personal stuff unless it was important. Deciding to worry about it later, he pushed off of the table and followed a nurse to the CT room, calling for a taxi once he was done. Today was going to be a long day. He had a lot to think about, and a brain that needed rest. He was getting another headache just trying to sort out how to do both at the same time.

 

Instead of eating, the first thing Furihata did when he got back to his apartment was faceplant into the bed. It wasn’t even noon yet, but all of his thoughts were muddled and his body might has well have been a bucket of tar. The doctor did say to rest…

 

-

 

A buzzing from his pocked lulled him from his sleep. He winced when he pulled his phone out of his pocket to see who was calling- the light really was hard to look at.

 

“Hello?” He groaned when he heard how scratchy and groggy his voice sounded.

 

“Furihata-kun, are you alright? I didn’t get a chance to check on you after I left last night.”

 

“Oh, Kuroko-kun, hi. Uh I’m ok I guess? Did everything go ok with the police and stuff? Sei-san had me see some doctor with weird green hair who said I have a concussion, but besides that I think I just need some rest.”

 

“Yes, you won't need to worry about him anymore. Did he take you to see Midorima-kun? He’s a good doctor. Get some rest then, I’ll have Kagami-kun cook something for you when he gets back home.”

 

“You don’t need to do that, really! I can find something to eat.”

 

“Do you have something besides ramen and eggs in your kitchen?”

 

“...No…” Damn. Kuroko knew him too well.

 

“Then I’ll be over later. Do you have any plans besides resting?”

 

“Sei-san said he’ll be over after work. I think we need to talk about what happened and stuff.”

 

“Furihata-kun, you are a good friend. I’ll…. if you don’t get the answers you need, we can talk after he leaves.”

 

Furihata’s mouth scrunched up. “Ok, thanks Kuroko-kun,” he said, “haha you’re literally a lifesaver.”

 

He heard a soft laugh and and a goodbye, they hung up. He stared at his phone for a minute before plugging it in, and abandoned it in favor of crackers and water for the medication. It was clear now why he was told to rest and do nothing else. There was no way he could have run the shop today without collapsing, or at least having a minor freakout.

 

Time passed at a snail’s pace for the rest of the day. There were still a few hours until Sei-san got out of work, and his phone had been unusually quiet. It was probably nothing. He knew he wasn’t the only one tired from last night’s madness. Still, he wondered what it was that everyone seemed so worried about.

 

-

 

This time is was a knock that woke him up. He grumbled and called out towards the general direction of the door, pushing himself up. When did he sit on the couch, and at what point did he fall asleep again? He really needed to pay more attention.

 

It took a minute for him to reach the door, but his mood brightened when he saw that it was Sei-san. He fumbled with the lock, and smiled once he managed to open the door.

 

“Sei-san, hi! Come in.”

 

“Hello, Furihata-kun, I hope you're feeling better. Have you eaten yet?”

 

He shook his head. “Just some crackers, but Kuroko-kun is bringing food later.”

 

“Alright, that's good to hear.”

 

They made their way back into the couch, catching each other up on their day. Telling him that Dr. Midorima diagnosed him with a grade 3 concussion caused some panic, but he assured him that everything was fine. After that, the room fell still. He could see how tense Sei-san had become now that they were preparing to talk about more serious things, and it was starting to make him nervous as well.

 

“So Furihata-kun, where would you like to start?”

 

Furihata’s twiddled his thumbs. Just picking one question instead of ten at once was harder than he thought it would be. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for whatever would happen next.

 

“Who is Nitromaster and what is he to you?”

 

“He is an ex boyfriend. We were together while our powers were developing, but as you can see, we had a difference of opinion and parted ways. I will admit that I could have left things in a better place with him.”

 

So they've known each other for a long time. A twinge of jealousy crept into his thoughts, but he pushed it away. Clearly they weren't together for a reason.

 

“Ok. What about Kuroko? Do you know a lot of other superheros in the area?”

 

“Yes. Many of us trained together when we were younger. Our relationships have not always been stable, but we are closer these days. Tetsuya has been there through harder times, and I value him as a friend. However, I do not believe that it is my place to tell you his story.”

 

“That's fair…” He bit his lip and clenched his hands into fists, looking down at his pants. The next question was especially important. “Is Sei short for something?”

 

Sei-san froze, and Furihata held his breath. He couldn't recall what Nitromaster said, but he had fuzzy memories of hearing a different name when they were talking.

 

“B-because I know that's a big deal, but I feel like we've been… known each other… for a while now, and I like you a lot, but I feel uncomfortable with never knowing who you really are. I mean I've had two crazy things happen to me already, and I would feel safer if I at least could understand you better and know what to expect in the future. I don't want to just be with a mystery, I want to be with a person.”

 

Minutes passed. Sei-san turn to face forward instead of towards him, and he rested his elbows on his legs, head hung down. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

 

“Is it not possible to proceed as we have? Is it truly necessary to know? I care for you deeply, and I'm sure you feel the same way. More knowledge will only complicate things.”

 

His nails began to dig into the palms of his hands, and his eyebrows furrowed together. “Complicate? How would knowing more complicate things? I don't have to know everything, but I need to know that you trust me if I have to trust you with my life! Don't you think this is scary for me too? I still see shards of glass in my sleep sometimes. My wrists look like I've had a sex marathon with Christian Grey. I don't even know if I'll be able to go into about public bathroom again! I just need proof that you're as serious about this as I am.” His voice dropped to a whisper by the end, not trusting himself to keep going. His eyes began to water as he turned his head to look at Sei-san, who looked more closed off than ever. All he wanted was a name. Was it really that much to ask for?

 

Finally, Sei-san moved from his crouched position. “I'm going to need time to consider this. I hope you understand that my identity is sensitive information, and I do not give it away to just anyone.”

 

He fought back tears as his heart began to drop. “If I’m just anyone, t-then maybe you should go. If you decide to tell me the truth I'll be here, b-but I don't know if I can stay where we are and not wonder who I'm really with. I'm sorry.”

 

Whatever Sei-san muttered was lost on him, then he left in silence. Furihata waited until the door clicked shut before he broke down. It hurt that Sei-san wasn't willing to share, but what really tore him apart was that he didn't even fight for a chance- he wasn't willing to offer something else or elaborate on why. The pain from his body couldn't even compare to the ache in his heart or the storm brewing in his stomach. Actually, the stomach was a problem. He stumbled into the bathroom and threw himself at the toilet, heaving what little he had in between his sobs. It wasn't supposed to hurt like this. He wasn’t supposed to care so much so quickly. They weren't even officially together, but it felt like he had just lost everything. Sitting there with his head over the toilet seat only made him feel worse. His headache came back tenfold while he flushed the toilet, making it harder to drag himself out of the bathroom. At least he knew that the headache and vomiting could be partially blamed on his concussion. The needles tearing their way through his insides weren't going to be fixed as easily.

 

He couldn't stay here. Not when he knew that the slight indent in the couch cushion would make him want to cry again. Furihata wiped away the tears and yanked his phone off the charger to make a call.

 

The phone picked up the moment he put it to his ear. A concerned voice called out to him. “Furihata-kun, is everything alright? I was about to head out.”

 

He sniffled and wiped his nose with some tissue on his nightstand. “Can I stay with you and Kagami-kun tonight?”

 

“Of course. Please wait inside; I'll come over and we can get a taxi back.”

 

“You don't need to come over, it's too much trouble.”

 

“Furihata-kun, I can teleport, remember?”

 

“Oh, right..” Somehow he had completely forgotten that one of his best friends had powers while dealing with his messy thoughts. “I'll go pack some stuff then. Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome. I'll be there in a minute, ok?”

 

“Ok.”

 

He sighed and made his way around the apartment to collect his things. Today had been exhausting, but he was sure that the car ride back to Kuroko and Kagami’s place would be an emotional one.

  
He was right. The indent in the couch did make him cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Secret Santa fics need to finished next, so this will be updated next month. Thank you for continuing to read!


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